Vacuum cleaner



Jan. 18, 1955 o. HoLM-HANSEN VACUUM CLEANER Filed Jan. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGB Jan. 18, 1955 o. HoLM-HANSEN 2,699,838

, VACUUM CLEANER Filed Jan. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTOR ATTORNIE United States Patent O 2,699,838 VACUUM CLEANER Osmund Holm-Hansen, Fairfield, Conn., assigner of onehalf to John N. Ledbetter, Jr., New York,`N. Y.

Application January 18, 1952, Serial No. 267,150

11 Clims. (Cl. 183`37) My invention relates .to vacuum cleaners for domestic use that can easily be operated on electric current obtained from an ordinary light and power circuit.

An important object of this invention is `to piovide a vacuum cleaner which .can easily be manipulated and moved about, and hasa nexible conduit or -hose so coupled to the body or casing that it can be advantageously and conveniently swung about to reach any point within range of the intake line of the cleaner.

Another object is to `provide .a connection between the hose and coupling that permits the hose to be readily attached and detached, but retains `the hose securely when the cleaner `is in use. j

A further object is to provide .avac'mle'aner `that lcian readily be moved `about nie'ly by pulling on the ose.

Other objects will appear in the .following descrip tion, anda preferred .embodiment .of .my invention is illustrated in the drawings- But this disclosure `is explanatory only, and I may` change the construction shown in minor respects without really *altering the .essential `features incorporated therein.

On the drawings: t

Figure 1 is a top plan oimy improved vacuum cleaner; as it appears when the hose isdetched.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof;

Figure `is a transverse section of the cap connecting` the hose to the Vcleanergrfand Y Figure 4 isa detail insection in the plane of line 4 4 on Figure 3.

The cleaner has a housing or ,body .1 with a vertical partition 2 inside, dividing 1the :interior .into a pairof compartments. One of thes`e-contains fa .fan inafcasng indicated at 3, and the.. other .receives thedust :collecting pouch `or bag 4. The .two compartments ar'ein Acoinmunication with each other through .an .opening 5,in the lower part `of the partition .2. The motor .'for the fan is indicated at 6 andthe fan casing and motor` are both secured to a .rubber `mvnn'i'ting ring `7 having a flange 8,

.affixed to a `shoulder 9 linthe housing -1 by screws 10;

and the lower end .of the fan casing has .an inlet opening 13. The housing .1.has anoutlet opening 11 in itsupper end, Vwith deflectors '12 therein, and beside this Aopening Vthe `top of the housing has Ia large aperture 14 closed by a cover `15, with` a hollow, open neck 16 `to which the suction hose is attached. Whenv the motor and fan are operating, air ilows through the neck 16 into the` housing 1 andbag 4, which retains rthe dust and dirt, and out by way 'of the opening 5 'and `discharge outlet 11.

The neck1`6 has a ring nut 17 screwed therein. At the outer end the neck 16 has Aan linsidefliange -18 forming a shoulder 'rthatfaces the nut 17. The cover `15 is ,sccured to the end of` a handle 19 anixed to themed-ik 16, and, inside, the neck carries a rotatable socket member 29, with an exterior ring or ange 21.- `The inclined surfaces 22 form on l'the iiange 18 .andanother part `a raceway groove; and the Harige 21 has a matchinggroove `23, these grooves receiving 'antifriction elements `24g. Hence the socket can turn 'freely in the cover 15. The socket has a section of reduced diameter to form lan inside shoulder 25 and vthe cover 15 is Asurmounted `by a round `hollow -cap 26 -with a -flat ylower face having a hollow boss 27 projecting therefrom. This boss has a shoulder 28 at its junction with the cap 26 and on the end ofthe .boss is a flangem29. Between the shoulder 28 and flange 229 are rings SWo-.rnbberfor other-,yielding 2,699,838 latented Jan. 18, 1955 ICC material cemented or otherwise rigidly secured to the boss 27. These rings can be part of a rubber sleeve slipped on the boss 27.

When the cap 26 is attached to the neck 15, the boss 27 fits the socket member 20 snugly and its inner end is near to the shoulder 25. The rings 30 are of slightly enlarged diameter and are slanted upward when they enter the socket 20. The cap 26 is thus yieldably secured to the cover 15.

The cap 26 has a bore `31 opening through one side and extending through the hollow boss 27 for insertion of the metal ring or neck 32 on the end of the usual rubber hose 33, or for the end of a metal tube to which the hose is coupled. The hose will be of standard length, and adapted to be coupled to a nozzle and other fittings or accessories at its outer or intake end. The cap 26 carries a round pin 34, part of which is exposed by an opening 35 to the bore 31, and this part has a recess 36 of the same curvature as the `bore 31. On one end of the plug is an arm 37. When the neck or band 33 is inserted into the `bore 31 at the side of the casing 26, the pin or catch 34 is turned to present the recess 36 to the neck 33 to permitthe sleeve or neck 32 to enter the bore 31. The neck 33 lits this recess. Then the plug is turned by the arm 37 and acts as a catch to bind against the ring or neck 33 and connect the hose securely to the cap 26.

A iixed bushing 38 surrounds the socket 20, and has an out-turned rim 39 that is gripped between the nut 17 and flange 18. See Figure 3. The bushingf38 is inclined within the rim to form one side of the raceway at the ange 18. Over this bushing is slipped acylindrical ring or boss 40, having a bayonet slot 41 to engage a stud 42 on the bushing 38, and the boss 40 is thus detachably mounted on the `bushing 38. The boss has ,prongs 43 and an outside flange 44. The neck of the bag 4` is slipped over the prongs and iange `44 and held on the boss 40 by a rubber ring or card 45. The boss 40 is made fast to an arm 46 attached to a ring 47 and `provided with a knob 4S. This arm .is just under the cover 15 and by turning it when the cover vis-taken ott the housing 1, the bag and boss 40 can be `disengaged `from the bushing 38, and the bag separated from the boss' 40 and emptied.

A snap `catch 49 of any suitable design on -the housing 1 Vengages a projection 50fon Athe cover 15, to hold the cover on the housing 1. The handle 19 has at one end a .loop Vor ring51 that encircles the neck 16 and ismade `fasttheifeto by a binding screw 52, at tlhe other end the handle has a round knob 53 that tits a recess 54 in the `shown in Figures 3 and 4. The sleeve 32 carries a iXed metal sleeve or ring 58 with an outside encircling groove 59. The pin 35 engages this groove `and, holds the ring 58 in the casing. But the neck 58 nts 'the bore 31 and the pin 34 engages the groove 59 loosely enough to allow the hose `to rotate around the axis of the ring 58. 0n rotation of the pinto carry 4the recess 36 Vinto the groove and register' with the aperture 35, the ring 58 `and `hose canbe detached. The flange 18 preferably has a shoulder to seat the rim 55 of thev socket 29.

The casing 26 can only be detached from the cover 15 by an 4upward pull `to free the `boss 29 from the member`2tl. The user can 'move the housing about by pulling on the hose, and can rotate the hose and ring 5S. Thus the hose can `be made to reach any point for cleaning it. A sleeve 60 on the hose fits against the casing 26. This handling is facilitated by theV rollers 56, two of which are wide apart under the bag, and two casters 64 close together under the fan casing 3.

The housing is made in two sections, one `above the other, with a rubber gasket 61. between them. The two sectionsghaveribs 62, andaregunited by screws 63 in said ribs. The upper parts of the ribs `engage the .bag to space it from the inside surface of the housing. The bag can be of cloth or paper.

The casters 64 are of the usual type and are pivoted to the housing 1 -to swing each about a vertical axis. With the casters relatively close together and the wheels 56 farther apart, the housing 1 can easily be shifted about in any direction by a pull on the hose 33. The hose remains firmly attached for this purpose and can only be disconnected by a smart pull upward.

The shoulders 28 and 29 can be integral with the part 27 or rings secured thereto, and the rubber rings 30 are parts on the outside of a rubber sleeve 65, held between the shoulders 28 and 29.

Ha'ving described my invention, what I believe to be new 1s:

1. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having an outlet opening, a fan and motor in the housing between the bag and said opening, the bag being supported in the casing with its top open, a hollow cap on the casing above the bag, the cap having a bore therethrough, one end of the bore delivering to said bag, a hose having a sleeve inserted into the inlet end of said bore, said sleeve having an exterior encircling groove, and a pin in said cap entering said groove to secure the sleeve rotatably in said cap, said pin being rounded and extending across the sleeve with its central portion in said groove, said portion having a recess of the same curvature as the inside of said bore, the pin being rotatable to bring the recess into registry with the inside surface Vof the bore to permit insertion and removal of said sleeve.

2. A cleaner having a housing, a bag in said housing, a fan and motor in the housing, a cover in the top of the housing over the bag, a hollow cap on the cover having a hose coupled thereto, the cap having a bore delivering to said bag, the housing having an outlet opening for the fan beside the cover, a handle connected to the cover and means carried by the cover for supporting the bag, one end of the handle having a detachable connection with the housing, so that by lifting the handle the cover, cap and bag can be removed from the housmg.

3. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor between the bag and said opening, a cover on the housing beside said opening, a rotatable socket member in said cover, anti-friction means between said cover and said member, a hollow casing having a hose coupled thereto, and a boss fitting said socket member, a bushing Yfixed in the housing and surrounding said socket, the

bag having a tubular member attached to the neck thereof, said bushing and` said tubular member havingV detachable connection with each other.

4. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor between the bag and said opening, a cover on the housing beside said opening, a rotatable socket member in said cover, anti-friction means between said cover and said member, a hollow casing having a hose coupled thereto, and a boss fitting said socket member, a bushing fixed in the housing and surrounding said socket, the bag having a tubular member attached to the neck thereof, said bushing and said tubular member having detachable connection with each other, said connection being formed by a bayonet slot in said tubular member and a stud in said bushing.

5. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor bctween the bag and said opening, a cover on the housing beside said opening, a rotatable socket member in said cover, anti-friction means between said cover and said member, a hollow casing having a hose coupled thereto, and a boss fitting said socket member, a bushing fixed in the housing and surrounding said socket, the bag having a tubular member attached to the neck thereof, said bushing and said tubular member having detachable connection with each other, said tubular member having prongs extending into the bag, and an external flange, the bag receiving said flange and a bindg1g element encircling the neck of the bag adjacent said ange. Y

6. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor between the bag and said opening, a cover on the housing beside said opening, a rotatable. socket member in said cover, anti-friction means between said cover and said member, a hollow casing having a hose coupled thereto, and a boss tttingsaid socket member, a bushing fixed in the housing and surrounding said socket, the bag having a tubular member attached to the neck thereof, said bushing and said tubular member having detachable connection with each other, said tubular member having an arm attached thereto for manipulating said tubular member.

7. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor between the bag and said opening, a cover over the bag adjacent said opening, the cover having an open neck, with an inside ange presenting a shoulder, a bushing having a rim engaging said shoulder, a nut in the cover securing the bushing to said shoulder, a rotatable socket member in s'aid bushing, a tubular member in the bag detachably connected to the bushing, a hollow cap having a boss in said socket member and a hose coupled to said cap.

8. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor between the bag and said opening, a cover over the bag adjacentV said opening, the cover having an open neck, with an inside ange presenting a shoulder, a bushing having a rim engaging said shoulder, a nut in the cover securing the bushing to said shoulder, a rotatable socket member in said bushing, a tubular member in the bag detachably connected to the bushing, a hollow cap having a boss in said socket member and a hose coupled to said cap, the hose being rotatably connected to said cap.

9. A cleaner having a housing, a bag therein, the housing having a discharge opening, a fan and motor between the b ag and said opening, a cover over the bag adjacent said opening, the cover having an open neck, with an inside ange presenting a shoulder, a bushing having a rim engaging said shoulder, a nut in the cover securing the bushing to said shoulder, a rotatable socket member in said bushing, a tubular member in the bag detachably connected to the bushing, va hollow cap having a boss in said socket member and a hose coupled to said cap, the cover having a handle affixed thereto at one end, and a detachable connection at its opposite end to said housing.

10. A cleaner having a housing with an inlet opening, a dust collecting bag in said housing with its mouth adjacent said opening, a hollow cap mounted on the housing and having a part extending into said opening, a member surrounding 'said part, and anti-friction elements between said member and said housing within said opening, a hose rotatably connected to the outer end of the cap, the housing also having an outlet opening, and a fan and motor in the housing between the back and said outlet opening.

11. A cleaner having a housing with an inlet opening,

a cap having a boss projecting mto said opening, a ring v surrounding said boss and having a raceway in its outer face, said housing having parts Within said opening surrounding said ring and forming a cooperating raceway, anti-friction elements in said raceways between said ring and said parts, a bag in the housing with its mouth adjacent said opening, the housing having a discharge opening, and a motor and fan between the bag and said discharge opening.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNrrnD STATES PATENTS 

